The Big Issue

Should we expect press freedom as a precondition for hosting the Olympics? Journalists will gather in Paris next week for a special conference titled "Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom." Meanwhile, Chinese officials are stepping up their accusations of “western” media bias. Deborah Jones’ Town Hall commentary China and Tibet contains links to several articles on the issue. On April 4, CBC formally complained to the Chinese ambassador that its website was being blocked in China; in December Reporters Without Borders accused the IOC of “silent complicity” with censorship during the games. These reports stand in stark contrast to less than a year ago, when CBS foreign correspondent Barry Peterson reported on China’s more relaxed attitude toward foreign journalists, in the posting New Rules of Journalism in China.

Watcha gonna do when they come for your documents? Police and the courts have more power over reporters than some of us realize, argues Jay Somerset in the Ryerson Review. Indeed, on Feb. 29 the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a grab for a Shawninigate-related document held by the National Post. While the Canadian Association of Journalists decried the move as a blow to press freedom, a commentary published by the Globe and Mail by John Miller argued the courts got the balance right. What do you think? We encourage J-Source readers to visit our Town Hall to comment.

When Columbia Graduate School of Journalism dean Nicholas Lemann accidentally emailed out his own self-evaluation last week, students got a glimpse into how schools are responding to critique of journalism education. The debate about whether to approach journalism as an intellectual pursuit or as a craft has been with us a long time, as evidenced by this 1993 New Republic broadside, J-School Ate My Brain. Since that time, there’s been plenty of thoughtful reflection on The Role of J-Schools in a Changing Media World, much of which can be found in our J-Schools in the News section.